Questor Insurance News

Demand for personalised travel in the UK boomin

UK consumers are willing to spend more money on personalising their travel experiences, according to research from Sabre.

Travellers from the UK are willing to spend big on personalising their travel journeys, outweighing their current spend on ancillaries, such as baggage fees, the global travel technology company has claimed.

The findings point towards a largely untapped revenue opportunity for airlines and hotels that they may seek to take advantage of.

Findings from the research were revealed at Sabre’s London Technology Week event, Envision, where more than 100 technology and travel professionals gathered to hear what the travel industry is going to do to deliver a more tailored service.

A key finding from the research was that the British consumers surveyed were willing to spend an average of £61 on airline extras to personalise their journey, compared to £56 on personalising their hotel stay.

The figures highlighted are significantly higher than the amount of revenue generated by airlines from ancillary sales, which currently stands at £10 per passenger.

Additionally, 69% of travellers think it is important that they receive various travel options that cater to their personal preferences and travel history.

Eric Hallerberg, Managing Director of Sabre UK and Ireland, pointed towards the example of the music industry which gives users custom music options after downloading a song – and suggested that users want the same experience within the travel industry.

The survey revealed that woman are more likely to spend money on ensuring their journey is personalised with 71% claiming they would purchase cash for airline extras, compared to 63% of males.

Willingness to spend was higher when looking at young travellers between the ages of 16 and 24, with 20% willing to spend more than £100 on personalising their travel in comparison to 10% of over 55s.

If you’re thinking of travelling abroad this year, be sure to organise your specialist travel insurance in advance